What is silica dust?

Silica dust (crystalline silica) is found in some stone, rock, sand, gravel and clay. The most common form is quartz. Silica dust can also be found in the following products:
  • bricks
  • tiles
  • concrete
  • some plastic material.

When these materials are worked on, silica is released as a fine dust known as respirable crystalline silica or silica dust.

Today, all states and territories in Australia have work health and safety laws that explain duty of care for employers and workers' responsibilities.

 

Silica dust and cancer

Silica dust is harmful when inhaled into your lungs. As it is 100 times smaller than a grain of sand, you can be breathing it in without knowing.

Exposure to silica dust can lead to the development of lung cancer, silicosis (an irreversible scarring and stiffening of the lungs), kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is estimated that 230 people develop lung cancer each year as a result of past exposure to silica dust at work. Not all exposed workers will develop cancer; cancer risk increases with long-term or repeated high-level exposure. 

 

Work and exposure to silica dust

Approximately 587,000 Australian workers were exposed to silica dust in the workplace in 2011. It has been estimated that 5758 of these will develop a lung cancer over the course of their life as a result of that exposure.

The occupations with the greatest exposure include:

  • miners
  • construction workers
  • farmers
  • engineers.

You may be exposed to silica dust if your work involves:

  • breaking, crushing, grinding or milling material containing silica dust
  • sand blasting or casting
  • paving, surfacing or cement finishing
  • bricklaying
  • demolition work
  • road construction
  • stonemasonery
  • mineral ore-treating processes
  • manufacture of glass, ceramics, brick, concrete, tile, metals or machinery